Got my Christmas spirit back!

Wow, what a couple of days. Yesterday I wanted to blog, but I got caught working my one Sunday a month. I feel like I've been going and going since Thanksgiving, but I think it is going to slow down a little now. I feel inclined to start off with telling about today and going through the rest of my weekend in reverse. Today I was feeling really down. We forgot to turn the heat down last night and Braxton and I didn't sleep very well. I woke up with a horrible lack of ambition and started to think about Christmas and felt weighed down. I still had to come up with a present for Kent's dad (the hardest one to shop for) and his mom's present that I ordered the Monday before Thanksgiving still hadn't come in the mail. I had ordered it off ebay and heard after that you are always supposed to go through pay pal and I hadn't so I was getting nervous that I had been cheated out of some money at Christmas time. As I was getting more and more down I realized that I was starting to crave junk food and I was getting ornery and impatient with Braxton. I knew I had to change some things around and be more positive so I ate some carrots, read some scriptures, and took a nap.

Braxton all cuddled up with a little morning bed head

When I woke up to the doorbell I was not too happy. I decided I would see who it was through the peep hole and if I wanted to talk to them I would answer otherwise I was going back to sleep. When I looked out I saw the postman put a package on my doorstep. I knew immediately it was my present for Kent's mom. I called Kent and made him hurry and make a decision on his dad's present. I knew if I got them wrapped and to his brother before he left work in Midvale he would be able to send it down with his mom as she went home after watching his kids. I succeeded and was able to get it done and to him. Now every one's presents are bought except my little family and we can wait for a payday. Besides Braxton doesn't know the difference and Kent and I don't need anything that couldn't be bought later. Now my next tackle will be neighbor presents and I bought part of that a few months ago. So yea for all the fun presents I get to give this year. I am actually very excited about the presents I am giving. I feel that they are fun, nice presents and I haven't really spent a whole lot which helps us out this year. That makes a merry Christmas to me!

Sunday started out really rough too because Saturday we were up late. The alarm didn't go off, but luckily Braxton woke a little before 8 o'clock. We have church at nine and so needless to say we were a few minutes late. Actually I've done really very well lately we have been early or on time most of the time and it feels a lot better. Being tired I was ornery and had a hard time getting the spirit for Relief Society. During Sunday School I took Braxton to play in the nursery. I think I might leave him next week. He does really well and most of the time he doesn't even look to see if I am there or even notice me at all. He's so cute and little next to all the other kids, but seeing him follow the kids down the hall and sit at snack makes him seem SO big too. My baby is growing up. *tear*

Sacrament meeting was excellent! A woman in the ward who is my mom's age and also the mother of the woman I visit teach spoke with her husband and she made me think. I'm hoping to get some of the quotes she used in her talk because they inspired me. She quoted President Hinckley from his book Stand a Little Taller and spoke of how he loves this time of year because of the good nature of people who are trying to be more Christlike. Then she went on to point out that we don't have to complain about the commercialism or the ornery and selfish people or any other negative thing about Christmas. I realized that Christmas hasn't changed as much as people's attitudes have changed. Christmas is as negative or positive as we think it to be. Even Christmas has it's negatives, but we don't have to choose to focus on those this time of year. It's about having more charity and this sister gave a definition of charity that was different than normal. It was about how you think of others and how you react to them. I realized that I too can be more charitable. It really was just a great talk for me to hear.

The funny part about Sunday came after church when I looked for our cookies left over from the ward activity. I looked and looked for them and decided that Kent must have taken them to church and gave them to the scouts. When I asked Kent he told me they were on the fridge. When I looked they were not there. I finally found the box in Braxton's room on the floor. He had found them on the coffee table that morning and had taken them in there while I was in the shower. So now Kent and I know that my son is a little cookie thief.

Finally I will touch on Saturday. The morning was spent cleaning the house while Kent cleared snow at work and then helped the youth collect food donations. Once Kent got home I sent him outside with Braxton while I finished up the bathroom. When I finished I went out for family fun in the snow and found Kent with a giant snowball to start a snowman. The interesting thing is that the path where Kent had rolled the snowball was a narrow oval only about ten to fifteen feet long and the ball was huge! There had been a great snowstorm all night and half the morning so we had to enjoy it. Braxton just walked around in the snow laughing and falling and getting up again. He had great fun.

Saturday evening I had to work until 8:00 pm. At 8:30 we had a couple of friends we were setting up on blind date. I lost track of time and ended up being late to our date that was at our house. It was pretty fun, but hanging out with single people forces you to realize just how much your life has changed from those days. I felt like we were the most boring home bodies that ever there were. That's OK though because I love being home with my family. I love doing anything with my family. Kent and Braxton are great. It's been a great weekend and I am so glad that today has turned out to be better and my attitude has changed. I hate being down, and I am glad to have the knowledge to help me fight it. I am very excited for Christmas and I am looking forward to it once again.

This is for you Holly!

Braxton and Kent were getting cold and went inside without finishing so our snowman is the headless snowman... just so you know you can't come back and add a head a few days later. I tried!